Mercurated and tellurated Schiff bases and phenylhydrazones

Abstract
Attempts directly to tellurate Schiff bases or phenylhydrazones result in ionic products arising from hydrolysis of tellurium tetrahalides. However use of mercurated Schiff bases and mercurated phenylhydrazones does afford tellurated derivatives on trans-metallation with tellurium tetrabromid or organotellurium trichlorides. [4-Methoxy-2-(phenyliminomethyl)phenyl-C1,N]tellurium(IV) tribromide may be reduced in poor yield to the monobromide. Spectroscopic data (i.r., 1H n.m.r.) are presented and discussed. In particular, 13C n.m.r. spectra were valuable to establish the position of mercuration of the phenylhydrazones.